Kirk Cousins

In two years as the full-time starter, Cousins has twice set the franchise record for passing yards in a season, leading the Redskins to consecutive winning campaigns for the first time in 20 years. L...

Cousins completed 26 of 37 passes for 251 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in Thursday's 38-14 loss to the Cowboys. He also gained six yards on three rushes and fumbled twice, losing one.

A fourth-round afterthought in the 2012 draft class that brought Robert Griffin to Washington, Cousins got playing time in each of his first three seasons due to Griffin's injury issues, and was finally given the full-time starting job in training camp heading into last year. He more than seized his opportunity, putting up very good numbers and leading the team to an NFC East title. While he doesn't possess ideal arm strength, his accuracy on shorter routes is excellent, with his 75.2 completion percentage on passes inside 15 yards ranking second in the NFL to Ben Roethlisberger among starters. Cousins' work ethic has never been in question, endearing him to head coach Jay Gruden, and he's also lauded for his leadership qualities, with a clip of him shouting "You like that!" to a reporter after the largest comeback win in franchise history became a rallying cry for the team after it went viral. Despite that successful campaign, his future in Washington isn't totally secure. He had yet to sign a long-term contract with the club at press time, and could play 2016 under the franchise tag he signed in March. Washington did add to its talent level on the offensive side, selecting wide receiver Josh Doctson in the first round, which could perhaps help Cousins produce even stronger numbers in a contract season.

2015

Cousins played in six games in 2014, registering 1,710 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions following a dislocated ankle that caused Robert Griffin III to miss significant time. Whispers arose that Cousins was better suited for Head Coach Jay Grudenís system, but several mediocre performances sent him back to the bench in favor of Colt McCoy. After approaching the 2015 campaign competing once again with McCoy for backup duty, the franchise switched QB gears in late August, when coach Jay Gruden confirmed that Cousins will be Washington's starter for the upcoming season.

2014

Cousins is destined to backup RGIII again in 2014. He played in five games in 2013 and did not perform as well as his rookie season. He completed 52 percent of his passes including four touchdowns and seven interceptions. RGIII is a year removed from reconstructive knee surgery and is healthy going into training camp which means Cousins is not expected to see the field.

2013

Cousins looked really good in limited 2012 action, completing 68.8 percent of his passes and averaging 9.7 YPA. In his lone start, Cousins completed 26 of his 37 passes for 329 yards and two scores. Of course, he's merely Robert Griffin's backup and RGIII (coming off a serious knee injury) looking good to go for the Redskins' season opener.

2012

Cousins was drafted in the fourth round in 2012. He will compete for the backup quarterback position with veteran and former starter Rex Grossman. The team loved the value of taking Cousins in the fourth round as he was consider a potential starter. The team is heavily invested in starter Robert Griffin III so don't expect Cousins to see the field unless something catastrophic happened to Griffin.